Sudden Outbreak

For the next few days, aside from his unshakeable morning knight training, Evan spent his free time by the mast, learning and practicing, slowly digesting the knowledge and experience Sail Master Jab imparted.

Strictly speaking, sailing ships couldn't generate their own power and relied on external wind and currents. Therefore, any changes in wind strength or direction required timely adjustments to the sails; otherwise, it could easily lead to aimless drifting or even capsizing.

While this brought a huge workload to the crew, it also provided Evan with more opportunities to practice. Moreover, relying on his superior physical condition, he even took over a lot of the sail rope work from the sailors. Ropes that required several people to pull, he could handle alone with ease.

Humble and eager to learn, without any airs of an officer, Evan quickly bonded with the crew of the sail rigging team, even chatting easily with the lowest-ranking sailors. At the same time, his own sail control techniques improved rapidly.

At least with the help of Data Vision, anything he learned once didn't need repeating. His ability to discern changes in wind direction, speed, and wave height surpassed even the veteran sailors. When the sea was calm, Sail Master Jab even dared to let him command and maneuver the ship for a while.

By now, Data Vision had helped Evan immensely. Whether it was parameterizing external objects, discerning details, or his own attributes, it was an extremely useful ability. Evan no longer disdained it as he had at first...

The sky was high and the clouds were thin; another peaceful day.

The Silver Wing's patrol voyage was already nearing its one-third mark.

Because they had been sailing along the routes of coastal merchant ships, they had seen quite a few merchant vessels. However, Evan hadn't encountered any pirate ships, which he had been eager to test his skills against.

It made sense. Coastal areas were dotted with naval ports, the strongest bastions of naval power. Encountering the Blood Anchor in a busy coastal shipping lane like last time was truly a low-probability event. Most pirates wouldn't dare to come here to court death unless they were desperate.

As dawn was breaking, after finishing his training, Evan habitually climbed to the crow's nest to survey the sea. In the faint morning light, the sea shimmered, showing no anomalies.

It was just that, with nothing to block the view on the open sea, it gave the impression that the sun rose much earlier than on land.

"Where are the pirates?" The sea breeze brushed against his face, and Evan muttered to himself with a hint of anticipation.

"Hey, kid, isn't it good that the world is at peace?" Gell, who had also woken up early to patrol the warship, patted Evan's shoulder from behind.

Too focused to notice someone approaching, Evan chuckled. He wouldn't dare voice his thought of wanting to find some pirates to spar with.

Fighting pirates wasn't like telling stories. Any battle would result in casualties. The sea had never been a peaceful and serene place. Pirates, diseases, harsh weather, or even unspeakable things lurking beneath the waves were all mortal threats to sailors.

A normal Fourth-Rate Battleship carried three hundred and fifty crew members. However, the crew Gell had transferred to this Fifth-Rate Ship, the Silver Wing, numbered less than two hundred. Where the rest had gone was self-evident.

"Uncle Gell, there's a situation!" Just as he was about to ask Gell about maritime legends, Evan's peripheral vision caught an anomaly on the sea. With a mixture of nervousness and excitement, he shouted loudly.

"Steady!"

Gell let out a soft command and raised the single-barreled telescope with a brass casing he held, looking in the direction Evan pointed.

Broken planks, wood chips, canvas, buckets, wooden crates, and various other debris floated on the water with the current. The experienced Gell immediately judged that this was the aftermath of a merchant ship's disaster.

"Level Three Alert!"

"Clang, clang, clang..." At Gell's command, Evan immediately rang the alarm bell.

Then, the two slid down the mast and ran towards Gell's command position in the poop deck, which offered the best view and housed the ship's wheel.

Upon hearing the alarm bell, the Silver Wing, which had been relatively quiet in the pre-dawn darkness, suddenly seemed like a startled behemoth. Countless crew members surged out of their cabins like a tide, rushing to their respective posts.

Evan had initially thought that the crew under Captain Joseph on the Yellow Swan had been highly disciplined. However, after witnessing the actions of the Silver Wing's sailors, he realized he needed to redefine his standard of discipline.

Without Gell needing to say much, just by standing like an anchor at his command post, everyone below knew what they needed to do and who to cooperate with. In an instant, the Silver Wing transformed into a meticulously wound mechanical clock, its gears meshing and operating autonomously, becoming a true war machine.

"Hoist sails, turn the helm!"

Under the crew's manipulation, the Silver Wing gracefully executed a turn, heading towards the direction where the debris was floating.

Soon, the crew of the Silver Wing personally witnessed the scene of the merchant ship's demise.

The shattered sailing ship lay in pieces, floating quietly on the sea. Flags, broken planks, and cargo from wooden crates were scattered everywhere, yet not a single corpse could be found.

"It looks like a merchant ship from Palos."

Experienced veteran sailors, recognizing the ship's style and the remnants of its flag, identified it as a merchant ship belonging to the Kingdom of Palos, part of the Tulip Alliance. However, they couldn't figure out what had happened to it. The ship was almost completely destroyed, an effect that pirate cannons definitely couldn't produce.

"Captain, something seems wrong." Navigator Telius frowned.

A bizarre guess had already formed in his mind, but he wasn't entirely sure. After all, that was a threat encountered by ocean-going vessels in the outer seas.

It was unlikely to occur in the coastal waters, which, despite prosperous shipping, were scarce in marine resources.

"Level Two Alert!" Hearing the navigator's words, Gell, who had also harbored suspicions, decisively issued the order.

The command was relayed to all departments of the ship. At this point, whether they were combat personnel or not, the crew members took out their muskets and cannons, loaded their ammunition, and prepared for any potential enemy.

While everyone on board was nervously preparing, a thin mist began to rise from the sea, gradually reducing visibility.

In reality, after such a long time, the sun should have already risen. However, the sea visible to everyone gradually darkened. The Silver Wing had to lower its sails and slow down to avoid accidentally colliding with something.

"Click, click, click..."

Just then, a strange mechanical sound suddenly emanated from Gell's embrace.

Evan, standing behind Gell, looked over curiously and saw his uncle's expression change. With a grave look, Gell took out a silver object resembling a pocket watch from his embrace.